Orange County, Florida, was scheduled to vote in 2014 on whether to require that all employees get paid sick leave. Scott effectively rendered this moot with his signature.

Do You Know What You're Worth?

Scott’s bill was endorsed by ALEC, which stands for American Legislative Exchange Council. ALEC represents conservative politics and supports the desires of owners and CEOs of large businesses, including Disney and Darden Restaurants. Darden is a Florida-based company that owns restaurant chains, including Olive Garden and Red Lobster.

In simple terms, the bill Scott signed gives employers the power to offer or deny employees sick pay, as the employer sees fit. It is more than a tad ironic that a governor who claims to be concerned about freedom has just ripped the rug out from under the freedom of Orange County to vote on a referendum the citizens got on their ballot for 2014.

Scott and ALEC are defending the “rights” of the biggest companies to protect themselves from the horrible possibility that a minimum-wage worker will break their banks by staying home with the sniffles when she could have worked.

Instead of being concerned about the CEOs of multimillion dollar corporations, perhaps Rick Scott should be more concerned about the plight of the sick worker, especially if he eats in restaurants. ROC United has done a great job of educating the public about the plight of most restaurant workers. The people who breathe on and touch your food often work sick because they can not afford to take time off. The little gloves they wear do absolutely nothing to protect you when the worker wipes his nose on the back of his gloved hand.

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